Riot Games has announced that the 2025 VCT Ascension EMEA tournament will take place between October 18 and 26 at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, with two teams promoted to the 2026 VCT EMEA circuit. For the first time, the whole event will be played on LAN to guarantee competitive integrity, with only the Ascension Matches that determine the outcome held in front of a live audience.
VCT Ascension EMEA Qualified Teams
Eight Challengers EMEA circuit teams will battle for the two highly sought-after VCT EMEA spots:
- BBL PCIFIC
- ULF Esports
- Enterprise Esports
- Twisted Minds
- Mandatory
- FOKUS
- Joblife
- DNSTY
They qualified through Ascension Points gained in regional leagues and Challengers tournaments, opening the way to intense showdowns between Europe, Middle East, and Africa’s top up-and-coming teams.
Tournament Format
The eight teams are seeded into two groups of four, each played out in a GSL-style double-elimination bracket with best-of-three series for the duration of the Group Stage. Teams with the same record battle it out—win two series to move forward, lose two, and their hopes for Ascension are over. The top two from each group advance to the Ascension Matches.
Ascension Matches pit the winner of Group A against the runner-up from Group B and vice versa in best-of-five finals. Winners earn promotion to the 2026 VCT EMEA tour, and runners-up miss out.
VCT Ascension EMEA 2025 Schedule
- October 18: Group Stage Day 1 (Group A) – Two Bo3s
- October 19: Group Stage Day 2 (Group B) – Two Bo3s
- October 20: Group Stage Day 3 (Losers’ matches) – Two Bo3s
- October 21: Group Stage Day 4 (Winners’ matches) – Two Bo3s
- October 22: Group Stage Day 5 (Decider matches) – Two Bo3s
- October 23–24: Break
- October 25: First Ascension Match – Bo5
- October 26: Second Ascension Match – Bo5
Group Stage matches will be streamed live from Riot’s Pro Player High Performance Rooms with no live audience, with a close-up production including co-streamers, VCT EMEA professionals, and guest segments. The Ascension Matches on October 25 and 26 will be back at the main stage in Riot Games Arena, with a live crowd, full production, and the charged atmosphere worthy of a VCT final.